There’s so much to think about when starting employment in the UK, especially when it comes to finances. To help you or anyone you know with the big move, WorldRemit’s MoneyMatters’ has asked top Independent Financial Adviser, Chris Daems for his advice. He shares his top tips on the most important financial things to research and understand when moving to the UK.

Your salary

Chris tells us that it’s important to realise that most salaries are quoted as a gross figure. What you actually get paid is net pay once the tax and National Insurance have been deducted. There are numerous online calculators to help you work out what your net pay will be. So it’s really worth doing that before you accept a contract of work.

Your costs

It can be a costly business relocating. So Chris advises you to think what all those related costs will amount to – these will include travel, accommodation, food, heating and bills. It’s also worth noting that if you’re moving to the South East of England – London in particular – costs are likely to be even higher.

Employment benefits

Before you agree to any contract of work, Chris says you should really find out what benefits (if any) your employer is offering you. These benefits will vary from employer to employer – so don’t assume that anything is included.

The National Health Service (NHS)

It’s worth noting that while some aspects of the NHS are free, such as GPs and emergency care – not every bit of the service is. So for example long-term hospital care isn’t automatically free. Chris advises checking if there’s a healthcare plan that comes as part of your work contract. If not, you may want to take out your own.

Your rights

Chris finishes by telling us that before you move to the UK, it’s important to understand your rights as a tenant and as an employee. You can do this by checking your tenancy agreement and work contract. Always make sure that you read and keep a copy of both of them.